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Associate Director of Planned Giving

Employer
Fairfield University
Location
Connecticut, United States
Salary
Salary Not Specified
Date posted
Apr 9, 2021

Job Details

Fairfield University is a co-educational, comprehensive Jesuit university with a 200-acre campus located along the scenic shoreline community of Fairfield, CT. The University is comprised of approximately 3,500 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate students pursuing degrees within 5 schools: The College of Arts and Sciences, The Charles F. Dolan School of Business, The School of Engineering, The Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, and School of Education and Human Development. As an expression of our Jesuit, Catholic mission and identity, Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values.

Job Description:

DIVISION: Advancement

DEPARTMENT: Planned Giving

JOB SUMMARY: Fairfield University is seeking a dynamic Associate Director of Planned Giving to join its multi-faceted planned giving department within the University Advancement Division. The Associate Director will play an integral part in achieving Advancement’s strategic goal of significantly increasing support through planned gifts from alumni, parents and friends of the University. The Associate Director will report to the Senior Director of Planned Giving and will be responsible for managing a portfolio of prospects from qualification to stewardship, conducting visits, assisting with marketing and events, and achieving set metrics and goals.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree required.

EXPERIENCE: At least 3 years of frontline fundraising experience is required, with a demonstrated ability to achieve and exceed goals. Knowledge of planned giving vehicles and experience in soliciting and closing planned gifts is also required. Applicants who do not meet these requirements will not be considered.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
  • Experience soliciting and securing planned gift commitments such as charitable bequests, beneficiary designations, gifts involving retirement plan assets and life insurance policies, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and other outright and deferred planned gifts.

  • Ability to engage donors, understand their charitable and financial goals, and prepare charitable gift proposals for the planned gift vehicle(s) that will best accomplish those goals.

  • Knowledge of moves management in order to identify, qualify, cultivate and solicit planned giving prospects at appropriate gift levels

  • Experience making cold calls and other introductory contacts to secure appointments with prospects.

  • An aptitude to network with and solicit high net worth individuals.

  • Excellent time management and organizational skills.

  • Must excel at writing, interviewing and listening.

  • Ability to effectively build and maintain productive and collaborative relationships with internal and external constituents.

  • Goal driven and self-motivated.

  • Able to work well independently and with others.

  • Commitment to the mission of Fairfield University.

  • Ability to effectively communicate Fairfield University’s mission and case for philanthropic support. Experience in higher education fundraising is preferred.

  • Proficiency with basic computer programs such as Microsoft Office.

  • Experience with Raiser’s Edge (or other donor management software) and planned giving software (such as PG Calc or Crescendo) strongly preferred.

WORK CONDITIONS: Travel 50% or more per month to achieve visit and other goals is required, which involves local, regional and some overnight travel and driving at night. Occasional attendance at evening and weekend events required. Valid driver’s license required.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Manage a portfolio of 75 -100 prospects:
  • Develop a cultivation and solicitation strategy for each prospect in order to secure new planned giving revenue and new Bellarmine Society members (Fairfield’s planned giving society).

  • Conduct timely moves management on all prospects in portfolio to maximize fundraising potential for the University.

  • Ensure all assigned prospects receive at least one meaningful contact (phone call, email, letter or visit) per month as part of the qualification, cultivation and solicitation process. Thoroughly document all communications in Raiser’s Edge.

  • Update and maintain donor database with interactions, opportunities, plans, and outcomes to produce comprehensive understanding to be use in identifying prospect stages and reassignments.

  • Provide ongoing stewardship to planned giving donors so that planned gift commitments remain in place.

  • Solicit all assigned prospects for current gifts, ensuring all alumni are being solicited to help increase Alumni Participation Rate.

  • Help build a planned giving presence in other regions.

  • Develop strategies to continuously identify new planned giving prospects.

  • Work with Prospect Management and Senior Director on a regular basis to identify prospects for reassignment to and out of portfolio.

2. Achieve metrics assigned to this position:
  • Meet or exceed goals for generating new planned giving revenue.

  • Meet or exceed goals for adding new members to the Bellarmine Society.

  • Conduct a minimum of 100 personal visits per year to new planned giving prospects and existing Bellarmine Society members.

  • Produce high quality, effective marketing materials and complete all assigned marketing activities in a timely manner and on schedule.

  • Develop and implement a plan to increase stewardship of planned giving society members.

3. Assist the Senior Director in expanding the marketing program to educate our constituents about the benefits of planned giving and to generate leads.

4. Work with the Senior Director to increase stewardship outreach to existing Bellarmine Society members in order to sustain current planned gift commitments.

5. Assist in planning the annual Bellarmine Society luncheon and other events such as seminars on estate and retirement planning

6. Participate in joint prospect visits with members of the Major Gifts and Annual Fund teams as necessary.

7. Work with the Office of Alumni Relations to develop and implement prospect engagement and solicitation strategies for the 45th reunion through 50th reunion classes, and post-50th reunion classes.

8. Stay abreast of tax law changes and continuously enhance knowledge of planed giving vehicles and benefits.

9. Learn and continuously enhance knowledge and understanding of Fairfield’s mission, priorities, history, and characteristics of alumni base.

10. Participate in the professional development of the department. This involves:
  • Promoting efficiency and courtesy throughout the University community.

  • Participating in departmental/staff meetings as necessary.

  • Serving as a responsible committee representative as requested.

  • Communicating effectively with supervisor concerning pertinent matters.

11. Promotes safe and secure working conditions. This involves:
  • Promoting the proper utilization of equipment, tools, and materials.

  • Notifying supervisor immediately regarding any unsafe working conditions.

12. Performs other related duties as dictated by responsibilities or directed by supervisor.

Duties may be changed and/or be added at any time.

Pay range: $81,000/yr to $90,000/yr

Disclaimer: The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Category:

Advancement - Admin

All offers of employment are contingent upon a satisfactory background check.

Fairfield University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, committed to excellence through diversity, and, in this spirit, particularly welcomes applications from women, persons of color, Veterans, and members of historically underrepresented groups. The University will provide reasonable accommodations to all qualified individuals with a disability.

Load a resume or CV first, then upload supporting documents including a cover letter at the bottom of the third page under the "My Experience" section where it says to upload a Resume/CV. You will be able to upload up to 5 other documents in this section. You will be unable to edit your application, so please have all documents available before applying. Faculty Positions : If you need to upload more than 5 documents, please either combine them to upload or email the additional documents to the applicable contact in the job description. Staff positions : If you need to upload more than 5 documents, please either combine them to upload or email them to hr@fairfield.edu

Company

Fairfield Univesity

Our scenic, 200-acre campus is situated on the Connecticut coastline, just 60-minutes away from the heart of Manhattan and less than a mile from the beaches of Long Island Sound. But it’s more than just our surroundings that make our campus unique — it’s our commitment to each and every student’s personal and professional growth and their journey to becoming individuals of purpose.

For more than 80 years, Fairfield University has been graduating adept, accomplished, and socially responsible leaders in an academic community where the learning goes deeper, the friendships are more meaningful, and the experiences stay with you long after graduation. As a values-based, student-centric, outcomes-focused Jesuit Catholic University, we are committed to educating the whole person — mind, body, and spirit — and providing students with experiential learning and professional development opportunities that give them a competitive edge in today’s job market. At Fairfield, the future is filled with opportunities as limitless as your potential, and they all begin with you.

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